Systems, methods, and devices relating to a urinal

ABSTRACT

Systems, methods, and devices relating to urinal, in some examples having a movable portion able to pivot from a generally closed to a generally open position. The urinal may have a drain line engaged with a proximal end of the funnel for conveying urine and rinse water into a sewer line or a toilet bowl and a rinse line coupled with a water supply for rinsing urine therein. The urinal may be movable with the assistance of one or more sensors that may automatically signal other electrical or mechanical components to move one or more portions of the urinal, and may be include elements that seal portions of the urinal when not in use or during cleaning to reduce gas or liquid escaping from the urinal system.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Priority is claimed to U.S. Provisional Appl. No. 62/217,861, which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTIONS

The inventions described herein generally pertain to the field ofurinals, or toilets more generally, and to the manner of making andusing the same or components thereof.

INTRODUCTION

So as to reduce the complexity and length of this specification, thematerials identified the following paragraphs in this section are hereinexpressly incorporated by reference in their entirety. The incorporatedmaterial is believed to be non-essential in accordance with 37 CFR 1.57because it is referred to for purposes of providing general support,background, or information relating to the inventions. However, if anysuch material is deemed essential under Rule 1.57, any such text will beexpressly added herein pursuant by the applicable rules.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,181,283 may generally concern a low flow urinal thatincludes a bowl which incorporates a plurality of spray nozzlescommunicated by an inlet flow line.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,032,955 may generally concern an oval-shaped module thatis flat on the top and about three inches thick and is located between atoilet seat and a toilet bowl when it is not being used.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,496,974 may generally concern a urinal adapted to beconnected to a flush toilet system, includes a bowl, a top opening, abottom opening, a bottom drain opening, an extendable urinal, aconnecting device and a seat that is provided on the top opening so thata female user can sit on the seat.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,331,068 may generally concern a wall mountable urinalhaving an ultra-low use of flush water, minimum material and aself-cleaning action.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,228,572 may generally concern a drained urinal thatcomprises an inverted truncated cone, a pivot arm connected beneath thetruncated cone, and a base.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,925 may generally concern a retractable urinal for atoilet seat.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,328 may generally concern a water closet with aretractable urinal.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,668,388 may generally concern a retractable anddisposable urinal.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,978,491 may generally concern an inflatable urinal forattachment to a toilet.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,034 may generally concern an extensible andretractable urine deflecting apparatus for use with a toilet.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,321 may generally concern a urinal mounted on atoilet seat.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,947 may generally concern a urinal for attachment toa toilet.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,500,480 may generally concern a urinal attachment for atoilet bowl.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,742,522 may generally concern a urinal structureincluding a movable receptacle.

European Patent Appl. No. EP 1730363 may generally concern a retractableurinal.

Canadian Patent Appl. No. CA 2673008 may generally concern a retractableurinal.

Chinese Patent No. CN 2011275560 may generally concern anenvironmentally-friendly telescopic travel urinal.

Chinese Appl. No. CN 104278728 may generally concern an anti-leakagemale urinal outer cover capable of stretching and retractingautomatically.

Chinese Patent No. CN 203320672 may generally concern a drip-proofautomatic telescopic outer cover for a male urinal.

German Patent Appl. No. DE 3742760 may generally concern a water closetwith a urinal.

The document titled “Smart Nest Thermostat: A Smart Spy in Your Home,”by Grant Hernandez, et al., Security in Silicon Laboratory, Universityof Central Florida (2014).

The document titled “A Guide to Better Public Toilet Design andMaintenance,” Third Edition, by the Restroom Association of Singapore(2013).

The document titled “A Guide to the Urinal,” by Sam Mac and ChrisLlennarg (last accessed August, 2016).

Unless specifically noted, words and phrases in this specification andthe claims are to be given their plain and ordinary meaning. Thus,except where this specification uses the exact phrase “[word or phrase]is hereby defined to mean [definition],” the inventor expressly elects,as his own lexicographers, to use the plain and ordinary meaning ofterms in the specification and claims rather than a special definition.Absent such specific statement to apply a special definition, the plainand ordinary meaning applies to the terms used in the specification andclaims.

The inventor is also aware of the normal precepts of English grammar.Thus, if a noun, term, or phrase is intended to be characterized,specified, limited, broadened, modified or narrowed in some way, thensuch noun, term, or phrase will expressly include any desired orintended adjectives, descriptive terms, or other modifiers in accordancewith the normal precepts of English grammar. Absent the use of suchadjectives, descriptive terms, or modifiers, it is intended that suchnouns, terms, or phrases be given their plain, and ordinary Englishmeaning to those skilled in the applicable arts as set forth above.

Further, the inventor is aware of the availability and limits offunctional claiming under 35 U.S.C. §112(f). As used herein or in theclaims, the words “function,” “means” or “step” do not indicate anintent to invoke the special provisions 35 U.S.C. §112(f) to define theinventions. To the contrary, if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112(f) aresought to be invoked to define the inventions, the claims willspecifically and expressly recite the exact phrase “means for” and willalso expressly recite the word “function” followed by a description ofthe function (i.e., will state: “means for performing the function of[insert function]”), without also reciting in such phrases anystructure, material or act in support of the function. Thus, even if aclaim recites a “means for performing the function of . . . ” if a claimalso recites any supporting structure, material or acts then it is theclear intention of the inventor not to invoke the provisions of 35U.S.C. §112(f). If the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112(f) are invoked todefine the claimed inventions (using the technique defined above), it isintended that the inventions not be limited only to the specificstructure, material or acts that are described in any some embodiment,but in addition, include any equivalent structures, materials, or actsthat perform the claimed function, or any structures, materials, or actsdescribed in any alternative situations or forms of the inventions, orthat are within the appropriate limits of claim scope and constructionand that are reasonably described and reasonably enabled by thisspecification.

The inventions described in this specification and recited in the claimsare not directed to laws of nature, natural phenomena, or abstractideas, but instead, are directed to one or more of the expresslypermitted statutory categories of inventions, i.e., processes, machines,manufactures, or compositions of matter. Nor are the inventions claimedherein directed to any prohibited examples of abstract ideas such asfundamental economic practices, methods of organizing human activity, anidea itself, or any mathematical relationships/formulas. To be clear,the claimed inventions are directed to significantly more than anyabstract idea by itself.

Numerous possible or potential aspects, objects, modifications,features, uses, or advantages of various inventions described hereinwill be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from thisspecification, drawings, and claims. However, without characterizing orlimiting the scope of the various inventions as they are claimed, someof the possible or potential aspects, objects, features, uses, oradvantages of various inventions are summarized below. None of thefollowing possible or potential aspects, objects, features, uses, oradvantages are a disavowal, disclaimer, characterization, orinterpretation of any aspects of any of the claims. These possible orpotential aspects, objects, features, uses, or advantages might apply toany or none of the claimed inventions.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to havea urinal comprising a retractable funnel.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to havea urinal which can be retrofitted into commercial bathrooms.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to havea urinal which can be retrofitted into household or domestic bathrooms.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions toreduce smell or odor.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions toprovide efficient flushing and/or cleaning operations.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to havea urinal usable by males or by females or by both males and females.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to havea urinal with drain lines extending into an existing toilet, a sinkdrain pipe, or other plumbing fixture or drain.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to havea urinal that includes a bowl or funnel that can be concealed when notbeing used.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to havea urinal that includes a rinse system to help rinse urine from varioussurfaces.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to havea urinal that could be position to the right side of an existing toilet,or to the left side of an existing toilet, or to either the left or ridesides of an existing toilet.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to havea urinal to accommodate different bathroom designs or spaceconsiderations.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to havea urinal that may be manufactured by plastic materials, ceramicmaterials, composite material, metal materials, or by the use ofmultiple types of materials.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to havea urinal that may be manufactured by an injection molding process or bya casting process, or by a machining process.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions toshape the urinal surfaces in a way to reduce or minimize splashes ofurine.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to havea portion of the urinal pivot from a concealed position to a useposition.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to havea portion of the urinal moveable by a manual process or moveable by anautomatic process, for example, as by using one or more sensors, motors,springs, gears, pulls, actuators, and/or other electronic or mechanicaldevices.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions toutilize sensors such as photodiodes, infrared sensors including passiveinfrared sensors, motion sensors, or other types of sensors to detectwhen a user is present or not present.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to havea changeable height to accommodate users of different heights, forexample, children and adults.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to bewall mounted or be floor mounted.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions toprovide pivoting of different degrees, including for example, from zerodegrees (closed) to ninety degrees (open at a right angle) to 180degrees (inverted), or about 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, or 80 degrees.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to haveone or more inlet lines for coupling, directly or indirectly, to a cleanwater supply line to supply water to rinse portions of the urinal.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to haveone or more outlet lines for coupling, directly or indirectly, to anoutlet such as a sewer line or pipe or to a nearby toilet.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to havea seal around a moveable portion of the urinal to substantially sealliquids, solids, or gases from entering or existing the urinal whileclosed, with such seal being fabricated from a material such as rubber,plastic, neoprene, or combination of materials.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to haveurinals become a common feature of residential bathrooms.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to havea wired or wireless network, e.g., WiFi interface or connection to theurinal, or to a urinal controller.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions tocommunicate with the urinal over a network in order to track use,maintenance, or performance information such as duty cycle, number ofuses, amount of water used, frequency of opening or closing, currentstatus, last serviced date/time, last use date/time, toilet or urinalID, average time that urinal is in an open position when used, volume ofoutput material, battery status, power status, location, manufactureddate/time, model no., error messages or codes, troubleshootinginformation, among others.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions to joina home or business network and be accessible to owners, managers, orothers via a smartphone interface, or via other devices on the home orbusiness network.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions tooffer reduced water or no water operation.

It may be an object, goal or advantage of some of the inventions tooperate in a small area and keep urine from splashing onto the floor,thereby aiding in keeping bathrooms clean and odor free.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Additional understanding of the inventions may be derived by referringto the description when considered in connection with the figures. Inthe figures, like reference numbers refer to like elements or acts.While the figures provide several examples of aspects, elements,modifications, or components that may or may not be variously involvedwith the systems, methods, and devices described herein, the figures arenot provided to define, limit, or affect the scope of the inventionsdescribed herein, which are instead defined by the claims.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an example urinal apparatus.

FIG. 2 is cross sectional side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is side view depicting an apparatus with phantom linesillustrating some internal components of an example urinal apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a side view depicting the apparatus of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a drawing depicting a system involving an example urinalapparatus.

FIG. 6 is a drawing depicting a system involving an example urinalapparatus.

FIG. 7 is a drawing depicting a system involving an example urinalapparatus.

FIG. 8 is a drawing depicting a system involving an example urinalapparatus.

FIG. 9 is side view depicting an apparatus with phantom linesillustrating some internal components of an example urinal apparatus.

FIG. 10 is a three-dimensional rendering of an example urinal apparatus.

FIG. 11 is a three-dimensional drawing of an example urinal apparatus.

FIGS. 12A and 12B are drawings of two side views of an example urinalapparatus.

FIGS. 13A and 13B are drawings of a top and bottom views of an exampleurinal apparatus.

FIGS. 14A and 14B are drawings of a front and rear elevation views of anexample urinal apparatus.

FIG. 15 is a drawing of an example a generally funnel shaped subsystem(with some convex and some concave portions) of an example urinalapparatus.

FIG. 16 is a box diagram of an example of the operation of a urinalapparatus.

FIG. 17 is a box diagram of several components that may be included inthe urinal apparatus to monitor or control the operation of the urinalsystem.

FIG. 18 is an example of a data item with example data fields relatingto the monitoring, operation, and/or control of the urinal system.

Elements and acts in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and havenot necessarily been rendered according to any particular embodiment orexample.

ADDITIONAL DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The inventions are explained in additional detail below.

Referring, for example, to FIGS. 1 through 4, a urinal can includehousing body 1 supported by support base 3. Body 1 may be integrallyformed with base 3. The body may be fixedly engaged with a separate baseor may be couple or mounted to a wall or other surface without the useof a base. In some situations, base 3 may be freestanding. In somesituations, and as illustrated in FIG. 5, base 3 may be coupled to wall15 with bracket 10. In some situations, and as illustrated in FIG. 9, aurinal can omit a base and can be mounted to wall 15 in an elevatedposition with brackets 110.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, funnel 2 may be concealed in body 1 in afirst position when the urinal has a first non-use state. Generally,funnel 2 is shaped to have a wide or larger portion or opening at thetop and a smaller or narrower portion toward the bottom. The funnel maybe symmetric or non-symmetric, and it have angled portions, convex orconcave portions, and/or may be gently arced from top to bottom. Funnel2 may be pivotally engaged with sidewalls of body 1 with hinge 4. Funnel2 may rotate around hinge 4 between at least two positions (e.g., afirst upright position when the urinal is not in use and a secondextending position when the urinal is in use). In some situations, thefirst position of funnel 2 may be in a closed or concealed positionwhereby funnel 2 is positioned generally inside of housing 1.

When funnel 2 is in use, urine may collect in funnel 2 and drain down toan opening in the bottom of funnel 2. Drain line 7 may be coupled tofunnel 2 at an opening of the funnel 2 and with connector 9 at the backof housing 1, and as shown in FIG. 5, drain line 12 may be coupled toconnector 9. It is to be appreciated that drain line 7, connector 9, anddrain line 12 may constitute a drain for conveying urine away from thefunnel. The drain line may comprise a single line, or may comprise aplurality of portions for conveying urine away from the urinal.

The urinal may include water inlet line 5 for conveying rinse water intofunnel 2 to rinse urine collected in funnel 2 during use. In somesituations, inlet line 5 is integrally formed in funnel 2. Or, the inletline may comprise a tube coupled to the funnel. Inlet line 6 may becoupled on a first end with water inlet line 5 and on a second end withconnector 8 at the back of housing 1, and as shown in FIG. 5, inlet line11 may be coupled to connector 8. The inlet line may comprise a singleline, or may comprise a plurality of portions for conveying water torinse the funnel.

In some situations, inlet line 6 and drain line 7 may comprise flexibletubing or pipe for bending as funnel 2 pivots, moves, or adjusts betweendifferent positions.

FIG. 4 illustrates a urinal having a second in-use state, where a distalend of funnel 2 extends out of housing 1 for receiving urine. In somesituations, the funnel can be positioned manually by a foot lever orother mechanical or powered mechanism between its open in use positionand closed non-use concealed position. An electric motor, stepper motor,or other powered actuator may be used to move the position of one ormore portions of the urinal such as the funnel. A manual push clip ormagnet may be used in some situations for opening and closing of theurinal.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate systems including urinals. The urinal mayinclude housing 1, funnel 2, and base 3 where base 3 may be mounted towall 15. The urinal may be positioned adjacent to toilet 13. inlet line11 may be engaged with connector 8 on one end and water valve 20 onanother end. Toilet inlet line 111 may be engaged with water valve 20for receiving water in tank 14. In some situations, and referring toFIG. 6, push valve or trigger valve 21 may be provided in inlet line 11between connector 8 and water valve 20, for permitting water to passfrom water valve 20 through inlet lines 11, 6 and 5 so that urine can berinsed from funnel 2.

In addition, or alternatively, inlet line 11 may have an inlet sensor252 to detect the amount of water or liquid flowing through the line andmay communicate that data to a controller 250 within the urinal to trackthe amount of water consumed, number of uses of the urinal, and/ornumber flushes. Urine and rinse water collected in funnel 2 may beconveyed through drain line 7 and 12. In some situations drain line 12may be attached to connector 9 and have a distal end positioned in ornear the bowl of toilet 13.

Waste from the urinal may be deposited into the bowl of toilet 13 fordischarge into the sewer line. Drain line 12 may have a drain sensor 256to detect the amount of liquid flowing through the drain line, and thesensor may communicate that data to a controller 250 within the urinalto track the amount of waste produced, number of uses of the urinal,and/or number of flushes. The amount of urine received may be calculatedby subtracting the amount of water detected through the inlet line 11from the amount of waste liquid detected through the drain line 12.Examples of flow sensors include volumetric flowmeters such as apositive displacement flowmeter, velocity flowmeters such as magnetic,turbine, ultrasonic, and vortex shedding flowmeters, mass flowmeterssuch as Coriolis mass and thermal flowmeters, inferential flowmeterssuch as differential pressure, target, and variable area flowmeters.

Examples of a controller for use in connection with the present urinalsinclude, for example, a Texus Instruments (TI) Sitara AM3703microprocessor (including for example a 32 channel DMA controller, adual-output three-layer display processor, high speed USB controller, anemulation module, and SDRAM memory scheduler and controller, on-chip ROMwith boot code, and on-chip SRAM, or a STMicroelectronics low power ARMCortex-M3 microcontroller. Related or supporting electronic componentsmay also be used including, for example, flash storage, RAM, drivercircuits, temperature and humidity sensors, communications devices suchas a UART, SDRAM, ECC NAND flash, and zigbee modules. Networkconnectivity may be provided by WiFi modules supporting 802.11 b/g/n/accommunications or other networking or communications protocols. Urinalsmay also include a power management module such as a TI TPS65921B.Administration of the urinal's electronics may be done via a wired orwireless connection such as WiFi or USB 3 interface. Power may beprovided to the urinal or its electronics via batteries or via a powercord connected to home or building electricity, or a combinationthereof.

FIG. 7 illustrates another example of a system including a urinal. Thesystem illustrated in FIG. 7 includes drain line 16 coupled on a firstend to connector 9 and on a second end to sewer pipe 17. FIG. 8illustrates another system including a urinal. Drain line 16 may becoupled on a first end to connector 9 and on a second end to drain pipe18 associated with sink 19. As illustrated, waste water from sink 19 mayflow into the sewer system through pipe 18 along with waste from theurinal. As illustrated in FIG. 7 urine can be conveyed from a funnel ofthe urinal into sewer pipe 17 and in the system illustrated in FIG. 8urine can be conveyed from a funnel of the urinal into drain pipe 18.Thus, in some situations, it may not be necessary to have a drain linepositioned near the bowl of a toilet for conveying urine and rinse waterfrom the urinal into the bowl of the toilet.

FIG. 9 illustrates a urinal in which housing 1 is engaged with wall 15by brackets 110. Such urinals can omit a base supporting housing 1.

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate a three-dimensional rendering and athree-dimensional drawing, respectively, of an example urinal. Shown inFIGS. 10 and 11 is a cover 200, funnel 202, enclosure 204, brackets 206,mount 207, hinge 208, motor 210, sensors and controllers housing 212,rinser 214, and wire housing 216. As shown in these examples, the urinalbody may be mounted with the use of one or more mounts 207 positionedgenerally horizontally and one or more brackets positioned generallyvertically. The mounts and brackets may be motorized to adjust theposition of the urinal in either or both of the horizontal and/orvertical directions.

FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate side view drawings of example urinals.Shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B are cover 200, funnel 202, enclosure 204,brackets 206, spring 218, rinse line 220, and drain line 222.

FIGS. 13A and 13B illustrate top and bottom view drawings, respectively,of example urinals. Shown in FIG. 13A is, among other things, examplehinges 208. Also visible in FIGS. 13A and 13B are examples of thecontours of the funnel 202. The contours of the funnel may be designedto reduce the amount of urinal splashing that may arise. The funnel mayhave angled faces as shown in FIG. 13A, may have ribbed elements, convexor concave elements, or other shapes intended to promote reducedsplashing and streamlined draining. The dimensions of the funnel may beapproximately four inches wide to approximately 24 inches wide dependingon the circumstances and applications. Use of smaller width funnels mayenable installation in more cramped areas.

FIGS. 14A and 14B illustrate front and rear view drawings of exampleurinals. Shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B are, among other things, examples ofbrackets 206 and mount 207. As described, these components may be usedto change the height or position of the urinal relative to the user andmay be automated and controlled by controller 250 in association withmotors or actuators that slide or move the mount 207 relative to thebrackets 206.

FIG. 15 illustrates another view of the funnel 202. The funnel 202 maybe disposable, recyclable, or able to be periodically replaced. Forexample, the funnel may be fabricated from a material impregnated withodor fighting or cancelling chemicals such as air fresheners orperfumes. After a number of uses or period of time, or when the funnelgenerally smells less pleasant than it did when new or is showingstaining, the user may replace the funnel with a new funnel. The funnelmay be available in multiple different scents depending on the user'spreference. The funnel 202 may also be non-ridged, for example, so thatit can be opened or closed like an accordion. In such a situation, theurinal may be flush mounted or sealed within a wall of a bathroom. Whena user approaches and is detected by one or more sensors, as discussedherein, the flush-mounted cover opens slowly revealing the funnel, likea sail unfurling on a sailboat. In such situation, the funnel may befabricated from flexible materials such as rubber, plastic, cardboard(having a waterproof coating), or other material. Flexible materials maybe used that enable the funnel to be depressed into a volume at least25% smaller than its fully expanded volume, and collapsible to 75% ormore smaller than its fully expanded volume.

The urinal may also be equipped with a near-field communication (NFC)mechanism 258 such as Bluetooth or RFID. In one example, a user has acell phone equipped with NFC capabilities such as a Bluetoothtransceiver. As the user approaches the urinal, the NFC hardware withinthe urinal system may detect the user's presence and may communicatesignals to a controller 250 to open the urine receptacle. In addition, acontrol 250 may communicate signals to one or more motors or actuators266 coupled to the brackets 206 and mount 207 and automatically positionthe height and left-right orientation of the urinal to a customizedposition for that particular user. A similar customized setting may beused by the user to set the position or angle of the funnel. The usermay have preprogrammed the urinal by his prior use of the urinal, forexample, as in a home environment by adjusting the orientation andlocation settings and then saving those settings to his personal profilewithin a memory of the urinal. Alternatively, the user may configureorientation and location settings for the urinal within a mobileapplication or online website or system, such that the toilet moves to apreferred height and opening even if the user has never previously usedthe toilet (e.g., as might be preferred in a commercial environment suchas an airport) by: (1) recognizing the particular user is present nearthe urinal; (2) using an Internet connection to retrieve from a remoteserver the custom settings provided by the user; and (3) implementingthe user's desired settings. The urinal system may read the userspreferred settings from an Internet storage location via a wirelessinterface 262, such as WiFi or via a wired interface such as a LAN orEthernet.

FIG. 16 depicts an example of urinal operation. In this example, a userapproaches a urinal and the urinal detects a user's presence, e.g.,using NFC 258 or an infrared sensor. The urinal configures itself toreceive urine, e.g., by moving from a closed position to an openposition (the urinal might also modify its height or location). The userthen uses the urinal. The urinal then determines that the user hasdeparted, e.g., using NFC 258 or an infrared sensor. The urinal may havea timer to offset the amount of time the urinal waits to proceed after auser departs. The urinal may then move to a closed position. The systemmay then wash and drain itself. The washing may be done with the aid ofair pressure or suction, and fragrance may be released within ouroutside of the urinal. When the next user approaches and is detected,the urinal opens again. If a subsequent user approaches before theurinal has fully closed, the urinal may reopen or may close and finishcleaning and provide a visual or audible message to the user that it iscleaning and will be ready for use momentarily. The urinal may also becontrollable via remote control, e.g., by a bathroom attendant using aninfrared or RF remote or by a remote technician sending operations tothe urinal from a remote location. The urinal may also be controllablevia voice control and voice recognition. For example, a user mayapproach a urinal and state “open,” after which the urinal moves to agenerally open position ready for use. Afterward, the user may state“close,” after which the urinal moves to a generally closed position andbegins a washing cycle. In such example, the urinal system includes amicrophone coupled to an analog to digital converter together with avoice recognition algorithm to match detected sound signals to commandsto be performed by controller 250.

The urinal may also be programmed with a timer to be opened or closedduring different times of the day. For example, a user may program theurinal to be open during weekdays from 6 AM until 9 AM and then from 5PM until 10 PM, and on weekends from 7 AM until 11 PM. In this example,the urinal is kept closed during the times that the user expects that itwill not be in use and is left open during the times of likely orpotential use.

FIG. 17 illustrates a block diagram of illustrative elements of anexample urinal. Shown in FIG. 17 is a controller 250 programmable tocontrol the operation of the urinal system including most if not all ofthe other elements shown in FIG. 17. There may be one or more inletsensors 252 and drain sensors 256, as discussed herein operable tomeasure the flow of liquid into or out of the urinal system. Suchmeasurements are usable to calculate the extent of use of the urinal,the busy time of day for the urinal, the environmental impact of theurinal, water use of the urinal, volume of urine received, among otherthings. The urinal may include a user sensor 254 used to detect thepresence of a user, as discussed herein. NFC elements may be implementedto detect a user presence. NFC elements may also be used to charge moneyfor use of the urinal. In public locations, urinals may be abused ormisused. In another example, requiring a user account with an onlinesystem enables the urinal system to remain closed and free of dirt,debris, or vandalism by unpermitted users. In such example, onlypermitted users could be authorized to open the urinal for use. Suchonline systems may also be used to record user feedback relating to theurinal such as its cleanliness, its odor, a user review, or any othercomments by a user. The urinal may communicate with the online systemvia the Internet using a wireless interface 262 within or near theurinal.

The controller 250 may also control the operation of a drain valve 260or inlet water valve 264. The drain valve may be opened to permit urineto be drained from the urinal to a sewer or drain line. The inlet watervalve 264 may be used to permit rinse water or other liquid to bedispensed into the funnel to clean and/or sanitize the urinal. Thedraining and rinsing may be done each time the urinal is used, or may bedone less often or more often.

The controller 250 may also control the operation of motor 210 usable toopen, close, or adjust the location of the funnel. The controller 250may also control the operation of bracket actuators 266, as discussedherein. The controller 250 may also control the release of fragrance 268within the urinal or in the vicinity of the urinal, and may also controlthe use of suction 270, such as a suction pump, used to remove odor,gas, and/or liquid from within the urinal. The ability to suction thefunnel to aid cleanliness may be aided by the use of a seal between theedge of the funnel and the receptacle made from, for example, plastic,rubber, or neoprene.

FIG. 18 illustrates an example data item used in conjunction with anexample urinal system. An example data item may have multiple datafields including fields for Toilet ID 272, Date/Time 274, User ID 276,Action 278, Inlet Sensor 280, Drain Sensor 282, Error Codes 284, andnumerous other fields. The toilet ID field may assign a uniqueidentifier to each toilet or urinal. The Toilet ID may thereforedesignate a particular urinal from among thousands of urinals under theadministration of a given entity and may associate, for example, errorcodes with a particular urinal that needs to be serviced. Error codes284 may be used to designate a urinal that is malfunctioning or thatneeds service, for example, unable to open or close properly, excessiveinlet water flow or draining, sensor malfunction, out of fragrance,unauthorized user, among others. The date/time field 274 may be used torecord the date and time of an Action 278 performed by the urinal, suchas the date/time that the urinal opened or closed or was drained,rinsed, or washed. The Action field 278 may be used to encode actionstaken by the toilet such as opening or closing, rinsing, sanitizing,draining, or various other actions the toilet may perform.

The urinal may have audible elements to be used by users that are sightimpaired, such as beeps or synthesized or recorded voices. Such voicescan provide a greeting to users. Sensors, such as infrared sensors, maybe used in association with audible voice output to assistsight-impaired users to position their bodies in the appropriatelocation to use the urinal without needing to touch the urinal.

In the foregoing description, numerous examples and details are setforth to provide a clear understanding of various aspects of variousinventions. It will be understood, however, by those skilled in therelevant arts, that the present inventions may be practiced without, orwith various alternatives, modifications, and/or equivalents of variousof these details. In other instances, structures and devices are omittedor shown or discussed more generally in order to avoid obscuring orunduly limiting the inventions. In many cases, a description ofoperations is sufficient to enable one to implement the various forms ofthe inventions. It should be noted that there are many different,alternative, or equivalent configurations, devices, and technologies towhich the disclosed inventions may be applied. The full scope of theinventions is not limited to the examples that are described herein.

I claim:
 1. A urinal comprising: a. a housing; b. a funnel coupled tothe housing, wherein the funnel is configured to pivot between a firstposition within the housing and a second position at least partiallyoutside of the housing; c. a water inlet coupled to the funnel, thewater inlet configured to spray water within the funnel to at leastpartially rinse the funnel when the funnel is in the first position; d.a drain coupled to the funnel, the drain configured to permit water andurine to be removed from the funnel when the funnel is in the firstposition.
 2. The urinal of claim 1 where in the urinal is coupled to abase that supports the urinal.
 3. The urinal of claim 1 wherein theurinal includes brackets for mounting to a wall.
 4. The urinal of claim1 wherein the urinal includes near field communication circuitryprogrammed to detect the presence of a user.
 5. The urinal of claim 1wherein the urinal includes one or more infrared sensors configured todetect the presence of a user.
 6. The urinal of claim 1 wherein theurinal includes a wireless interface configured to communicate data viathe Internet to or from the urinal.
 7. The urinal of claim 1 furthercomprising a manual valve configured to be used by a user to cause waterto be dispensed through the water inlet into the funnel.
 8. The urinalof claim 1 wherein the urinal is retrofitted to plumbing fixtures of anexisting residential toilet.
 9. The urinal of claim 1 wherein the funnelis flexible and thereby configured to be reduced in volume into a volumeat least 25% smaller than its expanded volume.
 10. A method of operatinga urinal comprising: a. detecting the nearby presence of a user usingone or more sensors; b. based on the detection of a user, signaling oneor more motors or one or more actuators to move at least a portion ofthe urinal into an angled position ready to receive urine; c. detectingthe absence of the user using one or more sensors; d. based on thedetected absence of the user, signaling the one or more motors or one ormore actuators to move at least a portion of the urinal into a closedposition; e. spraying water through a water inlet to at least partiallywash the interior of the urinal; f. opening a drain of the urinal todrain urine or water from the urinal.
 11. The method of claim 10 whereindetecting the nearby presence of a user includes the use the use of nearfield communication.
 12. The method of claim 10 wherein detecting thenearby presence of a user includes the use of RFID.
 13. The method ofclaim 10 wherein detecting the nearby presence of a user includes theuse of Bluetooth.
 14. The method of claim 10 wherein the urinal isfurther to configured to transmit to a remote location via a wirelessinterface data relating to the operation or status of the urinal. 15.The method of claim 10 wherein the urinal uses suction to drain urine orwater from the urinal.
 16. The method of claim 10 wherein the urinal issubstantially sealed from the release of air or liquid when in theclosed position.
 17. A method for operating an Internet servercomprising: a. transmitting, via network interface hardware, aninterface for the creation of a user account; b. receiving, via networkinterface hardware, settings of a user relating to the operation of aurinal; c. receiving, via network interface hardware, a datatransmission from a remotely-located urinal indicating that a usercorresponding to the user account is nearby the urinal; d. transmitting,via network interface hardware, settings or operation parameters for thepositioning or use of the urinal.
 18. The method of claim 17 furthercomprising receiving a review of the urinal and storing the review in amemory.
 19. The method of claim 17 further comprising storingmaintenance information related to a urinal in a memory associated withthe Internet server.
 20. The method of claim 17 further comprisingtransmitting data, via network interface hardware, the data configuredto cause the urinal to change the height at which it is positioned.